Ten Rest 2004

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Ten Rest 2004

David Edwards

EXCLUSIVE CLUB, THE TEN BEST BIKES, and tough to get into. By loose count, there were some 350 distinct streetbikes, dirtbikes and scooters that made up the 2004 model year. Winnowing out the Ten Best from that lot takes 12 months, thousands of test miles, tanker loads of $2.50 a gallon gasoline, more than a few traffic tickets, a get-off or two-and more fun than any job this side of double-stick tape at a Miss USA pageant.

When we’re done, the 10 left standing are all future Hall-of-Famers, backed up by five honorable mentions, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more bikes worthy of the ol’ editorial spotlight, which brings us to the “Ten Rest Bikes” 2004:

Best Bike to Send Tea-Baggers Into a Tizzy: Vincent Black Eagle

Jeez, you’d think Barney Li had plans to turn Buckingham Palace into a Motel 8! All the former Wax King wants to do is bring back the mighty Vincent V-Twin, updated for the 21st century with fresh styling and Honda RC51 power, but judging by our letters, a lot of classic-bike types would rather leave the legend moldering in the grave. We’ve ridden two of the four proof-of-concept prototypes and they’re good; in fact, the Black Eagle would have run away with our last power-cruiser comparison test. To make his planned 2005 on-sale date, Li needs to raise more capital-he’s already raised enough hackles...

Best Reason to Wrap Yourself in Red-White-and-Blue: BuellXB12S

Used to say I want a Buell, it’s just that

I want Honda to build it. Well, these days Big Red seems to keep its really innovative stuff on the show circuit (where the hell is the production NAS 1000, anyway?) and, guess what, Buell doesn’t need the build-quality assist. Besides, wouldn’t ya love to pull up to the full-serve side of the pumps and ask the hose-jockey to fill the frame and check the swingarm?

Best “Has-Been” Superbike: SuzukiGSX-R1000

Let’s see, in our big Superbike Shootout, Suzuki’s three-year-old Gixxer Thou gets out-dynoed by the Honda CBR1000RR (plus 3 bhp), the Yamaha YZF-R1 (plus

11) and the Kawasaki ZX-10R (plus 15!), yet at Infineon Raceway it laps almost a full second quicker than the next-best bike? And at the dragstrip is just nipped at the lights by the King Kong Kawi, 10.13 seconds vs. 10.12? Yet when all the votes are tallied, the Suzuki is stripped of its Best Superbike crown? Apparently, Team Yoshimura’s Mat Mladin, a clean-sweep winner in every AMA Superbike race so far this season, doesn’t read comparison tests. Neither does his GSX-R1000.

Best Little Big Dirtbike: HondaCRF250X

Okay, it had a gestation period longer than a blue whale's, but when it finally arrived, this 249cc enduro Thumper entranced us with its magical suspension and hero-making handling. If Honda ever births a bigger 45OX version, Husqvarna and KTM will be in deep, er...rain ruts.

Best Buzz Out of Austria Since Red Bull: KTM990 Duke

Everyone’s talked about building a Supermoto for the street. KTM is doing it. How much fun is 120 horsepower from a narrow-angle V-Twin pushing a machine that tips the scales at just 400 pounds? You’ll be able to find out later this year when the 990 Duke goes on sale as an early-release 2005 model. Bring a change of underwear.

Best Big Jugs: KawasakiVulcan 2000

Okay, so it looks not unlike a Yamaha Road Star motor with Harley pushrod

tubes (“Best Reinterpreted V-Twin?”), this is a great motor with some savvy engineering touches of its own, including liquid-cooled cylinder tops. If size matters, then here’s the world’s largest series-production V-Twin-and you’re too late, we’ve already reserved a “DOUBLE D” vanity plate for ours.

Best Non-Motorcycle: SuzukiBurgman 650

Traffic-zapping power, wind protection, cushy saddle, tons of cargo capacity and a cool thumb-shifter. What’s not to like? Honorable Mention: Honda Ruckus, or as it’s known around here, the “Best Camouflaged Lawn Chair for Semi-Militant Urban Latte Raiders.”

Best Bike for 1000 Really Smart Riders: HondaInterceptor

In 2002, we called it the World’s Best Streetbike, and not much has changed since. Yet for all its competence and good looks, the Interceptor’s sales figures seem stuck at about the 1000-unit-per-year mark. Let’s get it in gear, people, this bike deserves better.

Best Near-Life Experience: Norton952 Commando

An all-new air-cooled inline-Twin out of Gladstone, Oregon, built by a former farrier?! When Kenny Dreer traded horse-shoes for horsepower some years back, little did he know that he’d one day wind up with trade rights to the famous Norton logo and be on the verge of introducing the first new Commando since 1977. And he’s done it with less cash than the Hanlon Boys of Excelsior-Henderson infamy probably laid out for office stationery.

Best Reason for Ducati to Buy Moto Guzzi: Griso 1000

Just as we went to press, after this issue’s Aprilia-Moto Guzzi Roundup piece had been put to bed, came the news that Ducati intends to make an offer for Guzzi, Italy’s grand old marque, currently owned by cash-strapped Aprilia. If the acquisition goes through, it would give Ducati entrée into the lucrative cruiser and power-cruiser market via the sexy Griso concept bike, and already-for-sale Nevada 750 and 1000cc Aluminum/Titanium/Stone models. (Note to Ducati: First order of business, new model names.)